


All That Remained

by onetwofour



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Development, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff, I promise I know what I'm doing, My First AO3 Post, Not Canon Compliant, Romance, Slow Burn, Slow In General, Slow Romance, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-11
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-08 21:12:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15252144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onetwofour/pseuds/onetwofour
Summary: The Sole Survivor wakes up after a 200-year-long slumber, not knowing that the years to come would be the longest, most important years of her life.





	1. Chapter 1

Red felt the cracked streets of Concord shake as the beast Preston referred to as ‘deathclaw’ fell to the ground, its pool of blood glistening under the night sky. She panted heavily in her power armor, shaking from the adrenaline of the fight. She looked at her 10mm pistol in her metal hands, still not believing that she killed this thing with a fucking pistol. Preston had told her that she could use the minigun on the vertibird but she was a lawyer before all this. How the hell was she supposed to know how to operate a minigun?

With her pistol, she planted the last bullet in the chamber into the deathclaw’s head for good measure.

She turned back towards the Museum of Freedom, faintly spotting Preston’s face being illuminated by the bright red glow emanating from his laser rifle among the rubble that was created by the crashed vertibird. Preston raised his rifle in the air and waved. Red assumed that it was his way of asking if the deathclaw is dead. She raised an OK sign in front of her headlamp anyway.

A cool breeze seeped through the hinges of her power armor. Even if it helped keep her head attached to her spine from the deathclaw attack, it seems that it can’t protect her from the cold winds of Boston. She felt her knees weaken and wobble as the adrenaline started to die down. She sent another signal in front of her headlamp, waving for Preston to come down to her. Red watched him exit the rooftop then faced the dead deathclaw behind her once again.

She stared down at the unmoving deathclaw, noticed its ebony scales riddled with bullet holes and burn marks thanks to Preston’s sniping from the rooftop. It still looked as terrifying as it was alive.

The feeling of exhaustion has started to become more apparent to Red. Gone was the adrenaline that kept her on her feet for the past hour, starting from the first bullet she dodged from the first human being she saw upon setting foot in Concord.  
Red wanted to stay inside the armor until Preston was with her. She was afraid that there might be remaining raiders alive, but she didn’t want to remain inside where cold metal was being pressed against her body either. She quickly regretted fumbling for the eject button as her body went into free-fall from the armor. Her head made contact with the cracked pavement, feeling loose bits of concrete wound her scalp.

_That’s going to hurt later... As if my whole body wasn’t enough._

Having no energy to get up, Red remained still with her back flat on the pavement, taking the time to admire the vast blanket of stars above her. She didn’t have a lot of chance to admire them before the bombs dropped; it was hard to see them because of the light pollution in the city. Now that the power was out for most of the Commonwealth – hell, the whole country – she could see them crystal clear. Billions of stars in the sky, and even more beneath the clouds.

The night sky was beautifully lit with countless stars, just like the night she and Nate spent at the park. He had insisted that they visit the park in the afternoon and stay until it was dark. One thing led to another then nine months later, they had Shaun.  
Red couldn't help but laugh at the insanity of what has happened over the course of her life. It almost didn't seem real. It almost seemed like a dream that wasn't ending, a dream she couldn't wake up from. Maybe she is slipping into insanity herself? Maybe she is in a coma and this is all in her head? Maybe she's in a hospital bed right now, with Nate and Shaun at her side looking after her until she wakes up. But Red was all too aware of the reality of her situation.

Nate is dead.

Shaun is missing.

She's only alive 200 years later because of the cryogenic freezing. The bombs were no dream, but what happened after was a nightmare.

She didn’t know who or what to blame for everything that has happened to her. Should she blame the kidnappers? Vault-Tec? The war? Or should she blame herself?

She was thinking about it all this time. Had she been the one holding Shaun, maybe Nate would still be alive right now. Maybe he had a better chance at stopping them from taking Shaun from her arms. If those bastards did end up killing her like they did with Nate, maybe he would have found Shaun by now. She was aware that she wasted days of weeping, mourning, and sleeping, only to wake up repeating the cycle. If Nate were her, he would have wasted no time in finding Shaun.

Nate. Oh, Nate. The love of her life. He was the only reason why she chose to help Preston and the others; she knew that he would have done the same thing.

“I miss you,” she whispered to the sky, hoping that Nate could hear her from wherever he was.

She wasn’t aware that she had been crying again until a breeze blew against her face. She felt the trail of her tears grow cold from the wind. She had promised Nate that she would rescue their son and she intended to fulfill that promise as soon as she can.  
Her eyes started to feel as heavy as the vow she made to Nate. She was trying her best but succumbed to exhaustion when she hears the museum doors open with the sound of footsteps heading her way.

“Red. Hey, Red!” Preston knelt by her side, gently shaking her shoulders. “Are you okay?”

Preston’s firm grip remained on her shoulders but she definitely felt his eyes scan her body for open wounds. 

_Such a gentleman._

She intended to smile but didn’t have the energy to do so.

“Yeah, I’m OK. I just need… to rest…” she mumbled.

The last thing she heard before she passed out was the sound of someone getting in the power armor.

* * *

Red watched the whole scene unfold in front of her over and over again inside her very own ice coffin. She had grown tired of crying and slamming her fists on the thick glass window after many iterations of the same event. Her grief and sorrow were slowly getting replaced by anger and rage yet she felt ironically empty despite the all the mess she had in her heart.

“At least we still have the backup…” She watched the bald man peer into her pod for the nth time. She had memorized every wrinkle and mark on that man’s face. She slammed her fist at the glass window one last time before she was woken up by a loud bark and the feeling of warm and wet flesh licking her hand.

She woke up to a huge German Shepherd gently gnawing on her hand. She sat up slowly, gingerly cringing at the heavy feeling of her body. With a pat on the head, he barked again.

“Shhh…” Red cooed as he scratched on his chin and watched him wag his tail. He looked at her with hopeful eyes.

“Oh… You’re finally awake.” The voice startled Red. She turned to the other side of her bed to see an old lady sitting on a worn-out chair, smiling at her. Her name was Mama Murphy, or at least Preston and the others referred to her as that. Red remembered seeing her back at Concord and overheard her talking to Preston about some kind of sight or something.

“Dogmeat, go tell Preston she’s awake.” Mama Murphy waved her hands at the dog. Dogmeat, huh? The dog, seemingly understanding what she had said, stood up and ran outside. Red opened her mouth to ask if the dog did understand but Mama Murphy cut her off.

“Don’t worry about Dogmeat. He’ll find Preston.” She chuckled. “Worry about yourself instead, kid. You’ve been asleep for almost a day.” She turned to look at the window above Red.

Red didn’t need to look at the window to see that the sun had already set and the sky had begun to darken. The candles illuminating the room began to flicker as a cold breeze crept into the room with the faint earthy scent of rain. 200 years and a nuclear holocaust have passed but the cold never left Boston. Some things never really change.

The room stayed quiet as both of them waited for Preston and Dogmeat to return. Red cleared her throat as she thought of something to break the silence.

“Where are we?” Red asked. She had already known that she was back in Sanctuary Hills but she doesn’t know which house they were in. Although, she was certain that they weren’t staying in their old home and this calmed her down if not a little. She hasn’t entered their old home yet, even after emerging from the vault. That place always bring her sorrow so hurtful that sometimes the pain felt physical.

“We’re in Sanctuary, directly in front of your house.” Mama Murphy gave Red a sad smile.

“How did you know it was mine?” Red asked as she raised an eyebrow, surprised and slightly suspicious of the old woman. She was sure that she hasn’t told her life story to anyone here, at least not yet.

“The Sight shows me a bit of what was, and what will be. And even what is, right now.” Mama Murphy turned her head towards the ceiling, looking beyond. Now that Red had a good look at the old woman, she noticed that Mama Murphy looked really high as a kite. She didn’t even try to think of a response to something so ridiculous. Instead, she lifted her left arm only to see that her Pip-boy is missing from her wrist.

Mama Murphy grabbed her Pip-boy from the end-table and gently placed it on Red’s lap.

“Thank you,” Red said, slightly ashamed for even thinking bad of the old, kind woman beside her. She was putting on her Pip-Boy on her wrist when Mama Murphy spoke again.

“You’d need to stay strong. Like you’ve been,” She said out of the blue, empathetic. Red heard heavy footsteps coming closer to their room but quickly dismissed it as she grew engrossed in her conversation with Mama Murphy.

“Cause there’s more to your destiny. I’ve seen it. And I know your pain.” The old woman continued.

Red can’t help but scoff when she heard her say ‘destiny’.

“Destiny? You’re trying to play me for a fool,” Red repeated what the old woman said with a mocking, sarcastic tone.

“I just saw you go toe-to-toe with a twenty-foot tall irradiated lizard. With just a damned pistol. Don’t tell me you can’t keep an open mind after that,” Preston said, cutting in. He clearly was defensive of Mama Murphy’s ability. He leaned on the doorless doorway. Dogmeat sat beside him, ears up, head slightly cocked.

“It's all right, Preston. Not everyone understands the Sight.” Mama Murphy raised a hand to stop Preston then she turned her head to Red.

“But I don't need you to believe, I just need you to listen...” She placed her hand on Red’s.

“You're a woman out of time. Out of hope. But all's not lost.” Red could see that Mama Murphy was looking at her but at the same time, it seemed that she was looking way beyond her.

“I can feel... your son's energy. He's alive.”

Red perked up at the news that Shaun is alive somewhere in the Commonwealth. 

“Where is my son? Where is Shaun?” Her voice betrayed her as it sounded a bit too desperate.

“I… can’t see him. No, not clearly,” She tightened her grip on Red’s hand. “Look, kid. I know how I sound. The Sight, it’s crazy. It’s sometimes foggy, but it ain’t ever a liar. He’s out there.”

Red looked dejectedly at Mama Murphy and turned to face Preston. He took it as a sign to stop Mama Murphy before Red breaks in front of them. He perfectly knew of the feeling of loss and grief. He also took Red as a prideful person. He assumed that she wouldn’t like breaking down in front of strangers.

He walked in the room and stood beside Mama Murphy. He placed a gentle hand on the old woman’s shoulder, seemingly afraid that he would break her.

“Okay, that’s enough Sight for today, Mama Murphy.” He chuckled lightly. “But I do need to talk to Red in private. Is that fine?” Preston asked Mama Murphy.

“Don’t be silly. Of course, it’s fine” The old woman flashed them a grandmotherly smile and stood up from her chair, releasing Red’s hand from hers. She reminded Red of her parents. She choked back a tear after the realization that they probably didn’t survive the bombs.

“Let me help you with that,” Preston said, carrying Mama Murphy’s chair out of the room.

Mama Murphy followed suit with her hands behind her back but stopped before she turned to the hallway.

“Don’t forget what I told you, kid.” She said and left after seeing Red nod.

Red let out a heavy sigh right after they both leave. A lot happened this week, and that was putting it lightly. She recollected her memories and enumerated the things she had done after getting out the vault. She felt like vomiting after remembering the fact that she had killed 3 people during the rescue in Concord. She was used to working with and against murderers back when she was a lawyer but now that she did the killing herself made her stomach turn.

She remembered it vividly. The way she felt relieved when she saw some people alive after the bombs. Relief turned to terror when those people shot at her. She had no choice but to shoot back. She was thankful that Nate insisted to teach her the basics of using firearms. She was used to shooting paper targets and wooden dummies, never did she thought that she’d actually use this in combat.

Her first shot found its target’s neck. She peeked from the side of her cover to see the man she shot had his hands gripped around his neck, desperately stopping the bleeding. His body twitched violently before he had his last breath.

Before she knew it, she was coughing and dry-heaving on the bed, one hand over her mouth and the other on her stomach. Dogmeat ran up to her, licking her tears. Familiar heavy footsteps ran towards the room. Preston walked up to her and ran a hand on her back, worry on his face.

“Are you okay?” He asked reluctantly, knowing the answer.

It took a while before Red stopped coughing and answered.

“Yeah,” She cleared her throat, coughing a little more. “I just remembered the people I killed yesterday. It was my first time… Killing…” She trailed off, tried to shot Preston a sheepish smile but failed.

“I’m sorry that you had to do that, the killing I mean.” Preston apologized, sincerity in his voice. “But I’m glad that you did. We wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for you.”

She wasn’t sure what to feel about that. It felt wrong that it takes a life to save another.

The room stayed silent as the night began to grow. Preston remained unmoving as Dogmeat slept soundly on Red’s lap as she ran her hand on his fur. She found it strange that his fur looks and feels clean.

“So, what was it that you want to talk about?” Red broke the silence.

Preston shifted in his place. His eyes ran around the room, a slight hesitation in them. Red gave him his time to recollect his thoughts. She looked up at him when he started to open up.

“I guess you know already that I’m one of the last of the Minutemen, but I never really told you what happened to us.” Preston placed a hand on the back of his neck.

“Have you heard of the Quincy Massacre?” He asked. Red noticed a crack in his voice.

“I’m afraid I haven’t.”

“I thought everyone in the Commonwealth knew about that by now.” Preston said.

Red thought of telling Preston that she was in cryo-sleep for more than 200 years but she held back, knowing that this wasn’t the time for that.

“I was in Colonel Hollis’ group. A mercenary group called the Gunners was attacking Quincy; the people there called for the Minutemen for help.” He paused and swallowed loudly. Red thought that this Quincy Massacre was a pretty touchy subject for Preston.

“We were the only one that came. The other groups… they just turned their backs. On us, and the folks of Quincy. Only a few of us got out alive. Colonel Hollis died in battle. So, I ended up in charge of the survivors. We never found a safe place to settle.” He looked at Red and Dogmeat. “You saw how it ended – “

“in Concord,” They said in unison. Red nodded in agreement.

“I know how it feels to be the last survivor.” She said. She remembered Nate and her dead neighbors that were still frozen back in Vault 111.

“Yes, you do,” He replied. He took off his hat and placed it gently on the table beside her bed.

“That’s why I’m talking to you. I can’t rebuild the Minutemen… but I think you can.” He blurted out.

Red was taken aback by Preston’s words. She couldn’t accept such a huge responsibility not when her husband’s killers and her son’s kidnappers were still out there. She couldn’t even defend her family from a few people. How would she be able to protect the Commonwealth from everything else?

“Why can’t you lead the Minutemen?” She asked, her voice a bit high-pitched.

“That’s not who I am. I can get my men through a firefight. I can defend a perimeter against all odds. But I can’t lead, no. What I can do won’t be enough to bring the Minutemen back from the brink.” He sat on the side of the bed. Dogmeat momentarily woke up from the movement of the mattress.

“We need someone who can bring the whole Commonwealth together in a common cause. And I think you’ve got it in you to be that leader.”

Now, Red was just confused. She didn’t have a clue why Preston was hell-bent in making her lead a militia group she only knew about yesterday. Not to mention that she couldn’t see what Preston saw in her. A leader? No, she was a lawyer. She was just a normal wife and a mother, with a decorated war hero as a husband. Nate would have been perfect for this role, but not her.

Preston saw her reaction to his proposition. He spoke before Red could even mutter a word.

“You saved us in Concord. There wasn’t anything in it for you. You had your own problems to deal with, I know,” He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "But you did it anyway. That kind of selflessness has been in mighty short supply around the Commonwealth for quite a while.” Preston gave her a hopeful glance.

From that look, Red understood that the Minutemen was as important to him as Shaun was to her.

She looked down on her hands, the same hands that killed and rescued people. Nate’s wedding ring glistened in the dark, reflecting the moonlight behind her. She turned it on her finger as her thoughts drifted to Nate’s. He would have agreed to lead the Minutemen from the get-go. That’s how kind he is. She wouldn’t have fallen in love with him if he wasn’t. Plus, he was from the Army; he would know how to work and lead with one.

She doesn’t want to say yes but she couldn’t say no either. Nate would have liked it if she helped them like she did back in Concord.

Red sighed heavily.

“ _Alright, Nate,_ ” She thought to herself, mentally talking to Nate. “ _I wasn’t able to save you so I’ll do my best to save others in your place._ ”

It was selfish of her to think that the Minutemen could be a way for her to immortalize her husband but she figured that if she could lead the Minutemen and rebuild the group, they could also help her find Shaun. She has decided.

“Alright, Garvey. I’m in.” Red said, realizing that she had gone way past the turning point.

“Good. Good!” It took a while for her words to register in Preston’s brain. “Welcome aboard. I feel like this is a whole new start for the Minutemen, and the Commonwealth, too.” He gave her a happy, genuine smile.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be right beside you all the way…” He cleared his throat. “General.”

“That’s quite a promotion you just gave me.” Red said. Every word that came out of Preston’s mouth kept on surprising her.

“You’re going to have to get used to it.” He chuckled. “The one good thing about being the last Minuteman is there’s no one to argue with me when I say you’re the new General. Now it’s your job to make it more than just an empty title.”

Red was sure that Preston didn’t mean to put any pressure on her the way she is right now but she did feel the weight of his words on her shoulders.

Preston stood up from her bed and grabbed his hat from the table.

“Now I’m sure you wanted some alone time after all this but,” He wore his hat again. “Do you want me to get you anything? Food? Water? You must be hungry.”

“No thanks, Preston. I’m good. I just need to rest. I’m still quite tired.” Red said.

Preston tipped his hat. “Alright, General. See you tomorrow.” He said before leaving the room.

She gently woke Dogmeat up so she could lie back down again. She felt the dog lie down beside her thighs. Feeling the exhaustion catching up to her, she closed her eyes. She felt like she didn’t deserve a good night’s sleep after having her family torn to pieces.

But once she wakes up, her road to vengeance starts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! If you're reading this, then that means you've went this far into my first ever post in AO3.
> 
> I've been reading fics for a while now and made an account for me because I wanted to try writing my own.  
> Since this is my first time, any feedback (hopefully constructive) is appreciated!  
> Please do tell if you spot any errors.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

It has been over a week since the Concord incident. Red has found a little comfort from Preston and the rest she had rescued back from the Museum of Freedom. Codsworth won’t stop from telling her how heroic she was and how Nate would be proud of her. Red would find him annoying sometimes but she let everything slide. After all, she and her pre-war robot butler were the only people who knew Nate and she welcomed everything that reminded her of him.

Dogmeat would always stay by her side while she watched Sturges fix the house they were staying in. Preston wasn’t always around as he would patrol the perimeter every hour. She would occasionally hear the Longs – Jun and Marcy – argue. Every time this happens, she would always tell Dogmeat to stop the fight. Red understood that Marcy was beyond upset that they had lost their son before they got into Concord but it wasn’t an excuse to blame it on her husband. Jun already looked broken enough as it is. Despite wanting peace between them, Red never really approached the two of them, afraid that she might do more harm than good.

Some days of bedrest went by. Once she felt that she could finally stand on her two feet, she offered to help Sturges with some repairs around Sanctuary Hills but Codsworth won’t allow her to work around.

“No, mum! That just won’t do!” He would say.

Codsworth eventually gave up after some convincing, specifically after Red mentioned Nate and Shaun’s name.

Sturges brought her up to speed on what he had planned for their settlement and informed her on his progress. Red was surprised at how much Sturges has done but one man can’t do it alone; Sanctuary Hills has a long way to go.

At first, Sturges went easy with her knowing that she had just recovered. So, he had her on scavenging duty, much to Red’s dismay. She found everything that was on Sturges’ list as well as some valuable items too. Thanks to Sturges, she learned how to make a few beds, dig for a stable water supply, and plant some vegetables unknown to her.

Once everyone had their own beds under a roof and pretty much everything has been settled, she finally had the time to rethink everything and plan on how to rebuild the Minutemen and find Shaun.

Mama Murphy had previously told her that she could ‘find what she’s looking for’ in Diamond City. In another occasion, she would be annoyed at the old woman’s vagueness but right now, she was just glad that she’s not facing a dead end. Preston had told her that Diamond City was located somewhere southeast of Sanctuary Hills. Red was fine with it, she has been around the Commonwealth for a while before the bombs. Although, she wasn’t sure if that would help her as the road would most likely be different from the ones 200 years ago.

Her problem now would be ensuring her survival while strolling the Commonwealth. She was well aware that she just got lucky that night with the raiders and the deathclaw. What Nate had taught her in the firing range won’t be enough. She could never lead the Minutemen and find Shaun with just a pistol.

So, she asked Preston to teach her how to use more firearms to which he gladly obliged.

“It’s the least I can do for you, General.” He said.

But she is not a killer, no. Having those raiders’ blood on her hands still gave her nightmares. However, she would swim in the sea of blood of everyone she killed in a heartbeat, just to see her son. She knew that she wasn’t built to be a killer but she would need build herself to become one, if she wanted to save Shaun.

With that in mind, she would train with Preston in the morning and help Sturges in the afternoon. She would also help them defend Sanctuary Hills from the occasional raiders and irradiated creatures that got too close to their settlement. At first, she got a little overwhelmed by the amount of work she had to do in a day. It was foolish of her to even think that training and studying gun parts would be just as hard as law school, not when everything relies on her skill to survive the Commonwealth. But then she would imagine that Nate went through all this in the army, before he was deployed to fight in the war.

Sometimes she would get impatient while training with Preston. She would grow irritated whenever her bullets won’t hit her target. She would think of giving up the training and continue searching the Commonwealth for Shaun but Preston would always remind her that without this, death would find her sooner than she could find her son.

At the end of each day, she would find herself look tougher and stronger. She would look at herself in the mirror every night, noting the changes in her body. Her belly has become slimmer, gone was the fat she had gotten from her pregnancy with Shaun. Her shoulders became more prominent, her arms and thighs were more defined. She looked less of a lawyer, and more of a soldier. But the thing she noticed the most was her eyes. She liked to think that she had soft-looking, comforting eyes before the war. Now, she has this hardened look in her eyes, along with the noticeable dark circles around them. Her eyes looked like she has seen some terrible things, which isn’t really far off from the truth. It kind of reminded her of Nate’s.

By the end of the month, she had already learned how to use a plethora of guns – how to aim, shoot, and reload. She also learned how to install modifications to guns. She was quite amused that she was able to make a suppressor for her 10mm from the junk she had found in Sanctuary Hills. Preston also taught her how to move and sneak past quietly as Red told him that she wanted to avoid fighting as much as possible. It was fortunate that she was naturally agile so it wasn’t much of an issue.

“I think I’m ready,” Red said, wiping the sweat off the back of her neck.

She doesn’t really know what time it was but she was sure that she and Preston had more time to spar before Marcy calls them for lunch. They had set up an improvised training ground on one of the empty lots in Sanctuary Hills.

“You think?” Preston smirked before he pulled a quick jab at Red’s jaw. He was sure that his jab was quick enough to hit Red but she was faster.

She dodged his jab with a slight tilt of her head and with a quick movement, she was able to land a hit on Preston’s jaw. He took a step back, feeling dizzy from the hit he took. He was really surprised that Red has come this far, not that he didn’t expect anything from his new boss. He was surprised rather by the fact that she was a fast learner, able to digest everything that he taught her. Not to mention that she was agile enough even before the training.

“You’re ready, alright.” He said, his hand feeling his jaw. He was certain that she didn’t dislocate it, though. Her punches didn’t hurt as much, but it still hurt nonetheless. Red might be fast but she wasn’t strong and she was aware of it. She figured that if they’re training, she might as well learn hand to hand combat in case that she gets disarmed.

“I’m sorry, did that hurt?” It was Red’s turn to smirk at him. She taunted jokingly then followed it with a hearty laugh. As much as he liked hearing her friend laugh all things considered, Preston was starting to regret pulling that mean drill sergeant attitude while training with her as he would always yell at her for punching weakly. The sky was beginning to darken as Red’s laugh died down. Another rain was coming.

“I- uhm… I’m planning to leave for Diamond City tomorrow.” She said, her back turned to Preston.

“You sure you don’t want me to come with you?” He blurted. He was surprised by the way he said that. He half-expected Red to get mad at him for having even a sliver of doubt after he himself forced her to become their leader.

“It’s okay, Preston. Like you said, I’m ready.” She smiled, recounting what happened earlier. “And the people here need your protection more than I do.”

They both looked back to the house they settled in. It was looking far better than it did when they first arrived. It was more secure, too as Red and Sturges installed turrets and spotlights around the perimeter.

She sensed Preston’s silence and hesitation, not convinced at what she said at all.

“Besides, Dogmeat’s coming with me. We should be fine.” Red shrugged and turned back to clean up the materials they used during training. A month ago, she would be scared shitless by the fact that she’s going to go through the dangers of the Commonwealth. But now she just shrugged it off like it wasn’t a big deal and that surprised her. Before she left the training ground, she hoped that what she said won’t come back to bite her in the ass.

* * *

Preston helped her pack up, reminding her of the necessities – Stimpaks, Rad-Aways, Rad-X, food, ammo. Red smiled as she was reminded of the time when she had to go to boarding school and her dad won’t stop from worrying. Her dad loved her so much, he even gave Nate a hard time by always challenging him to do all sorts of things. He was wary of Nate then; her father was also a retired veteran so he ‘knew how much of an asshole soldiers are’. He eventually warmed up to Nate, once he saw that his future son-in-law had nothing but the purest intentions.

“Bring my sniper rifle with you,” Preston said, pulling her out from her thoughts. She looked at the rifle in Preston’s hands. It looked well-preserved, expecting no less from Preston’s excellent gun maintenance but it was obvious that the gun has seen better days.

“Aren’t you going to need it?” She asked, still not taking the rifle from his hands.

“Well, no, actually. I was hoping not to use it here. Sanctuary has become a safer place, thanks to you and Sturges.” He said, placing the rifle beside her pack. “I’m sure it’ll be more useful with you.” He added as he placed extra ammo for the rifle next to it.

Red picked up the rifle and tested its weight. It was quite heavy, seeing that he already added a few of his own modifications to the rifle. What sold her the most was the scope. She figured that she could scout an area first with it to avoid combat.

“Alright, fine. I promise I’ll return it to you when I get back, mom.” She teased. Preston’s eye twitched when he heard the last word drop from her mouth.

“You better come back alive, General.” He said, with a serious tone. Preston and Red had only known each other for a month but he felt like it was longer. He considered her more than just the new General of the Minutemen, he considered her as a friend. And he can’t bear the thought of losing one.

“Of course, I promised you that I’d rebuild the Minutemen, right?” She said in an effort to lighten the mood. She would always pull something like this with Preston. Knowing his brooding personality, he’d always somehow make a light conversation serious. Not that she felt uncomfortable with serious conversations, but she was just tired of having her thoughts in a dark place. Red gave him a smile as she realized that she got through to him. Preston tipped his hat and left her to prepare.

She still wore her Vault 111 suit. It wasn’t the safest thing to wear while strolling the Commonwealth but she had grown comfortable in it. She also found its radiation resistant material to be useful. For added protection, she put on a long, black overcoat that was slightly tattered and worn. It was considerably thick, great against the cold winds of Boston. She had found it one day in one of the houses when Sturges had her for scavenging duty. She painted a bright yellow “111” on the back of the coat as it covered the one printed on the vault suit.

She had her hair up on a tight bun, leaving the bangs on her forehead. She considered trimming her hair but the bangs weren’t really in the way when she was aiming, so she figured that she’s going to be fine with it. She also found her pre-war prescription glasses in one of the houses. It looked really well-preserved despite lasting for 200 years. There were barely any scratches besides the ones that she remembered making before the war. She doesn’t know how it ended up there. Preston guessed that someone must have found it in her home and took it only to leave it someplace else. Her eyesight wasn’t that bad, mind you. She trained with Preston and still was able to land most of her shots without it.

She wore it slowly, afraid that she might break it. Her eyesight improved with the glasses on by a small margin, but still an improvement. She looked at herself in the mirror, reminiscing her days in law school. Those textbooks did a number on her eyes, only to realize that she wouldn’t be able to use her knowledge in this lawless land.

She looked at the time on her Pip-Boy. It was a little past 6 in the morning, it was time for her to move out. She grabbed her pack and wore it on her back. She picked up Preston’s sniper rifle and slung it over her shoulder, then holstered her 10mm that stuck with her since day one. She was supposed to bring her combat shotgun instead but the scope on the rifle was too good to pass on.

She expected the sun to greet her as she takes on the Commonwealth but dark, gray clouds and a foggy weather welcomed her instead. The fog wasn’t thick but she still had some difficulty seeing from afar. She walked around the Sanctuary Hills, taking one good look around the suburb before she leaves the place. Dogmeat wasn’t far behind but he was busy roaming around the backyards of the houses she walked by. Eventually, she spotted the iconic red glow of Preston’s rifle. He had stationed himself at the guard post she had built near the bridge.

“Good luck out there, General,” Preston stood up from his post and gave her a salute as she passed by the bridge.

Red gave Preston the best smile she could give, hoping that it was enough to hide the growing anxiety she was feeling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if the story is moving slow. I wanted to just do some world and character building before I speed things up. Because I s2g things will speed up soon.
> 
> Thanks for reading!  
> Please do comment if you see an error. I didn't do much proofreading on this one.


	3. Chapter 3

It took Red and Dogmeat about a day to reach the Fens. It would’ve been much shorter if it weren’t for the rain and all the detours they went through just to avoid having a shoot-out with the raiders. Last night was also Red’s first time to experience a nuclear storm. She and Dogmeat decided to stay at an abandoned house for the night, waited for the storm to pass. She couldn’t sleep though. She was afraid that they might get ambushed. Dogmeat seemed to notice her growing anxiety and decided to stay up with her. Skipping sleep wasn’t new to her as she has done it more than a few times in law school. But she must admit, skipping sleep was probably not the wisest decision for this journey.

Red did her best to observe Dogmeat’s movements from the moment they crossed the bridge near Sanctuary. It was late when she realized that he was giving off signals to her – like the way he would keep his body down when he smelled raiders. Or the way he would bark at her when he found or smelled something that might be of use to her. She never owned a dog before, or any pet for that matter, so her journey with Dogmeat was a nice change of pace for her.

They walked along the streets in the Fens, hopping over piles of junk that was on the ground. She felt beads of sweat form on her back; it was uncharacteristic for Boston to be this sunny. She stood under the shadow of a building and looked at the ruined buildings around her. The towering skyscrapers looked so gorgeous before the war – now they’re just hollow shells of the past. While traversing the cracked, broken roads of the Fens, she was reminded of the times when she and Nate used to walk the same roads on their way to Fenway Park.

She was deep in thoughts when she saw a man in covered in baseball gear holding a baseball bat turn to her corner. She quickly ran towards the nearest wall to hide. Drawing out her 10mm, she kept herself calm and recalled what the man had on him. She could shoot at him from where she was hiding before he could reach her with his bat, but she was sure she saw him carrying a pipe rifle on his back. She turned to her side to look for Dogmeat, only to see that he wasn’t there. She looked around and saw that Dogmeat remained out in the open. He looked at her with his beady eyes, head cocked in confusion. She hissed at him to hide beside her but Dogmeat just barked at her, alerting the man she saw earlier.

“Who’s there?” The man yelled. She didn’t reply but she stopped hissing at Dogmeat and signaled him to come to her. He continued to bark at her as she grew confused as to what was happening to her canine companion. She heard the footsteps come closer but stopped when it was close enough.

“This is Diamond City Security! Come out where I can see you!” The man yelled again, this time much louder. His thick Bostonian accent became more apparent to Red as well.

_Wait, did he say Diamond City?_

She glanced at Dogmeat again as he sat on the ground, head still cocked. Maybe that’s why he didn’t hide when he saw the man. He probably knew that the man was not an enemy.

Red holstered her 10mm and raised her hands in the air before she went out of her cover.

“Jeez, this would end really bad for me if this man is only bullshitting me.” Red whispered to herself as she stepped into the sunlight. She flinched a little when she saw the end of the barrel aimed at her. She may have trained how to fire guns but she still wasn’t prepared to be at the opposite end of the barrel. Well, at least she was right about the man having firearms on him.

“I’m sorry, officer. I was on my way to Diamond City when I saw you. I thought you were a raider.” She reasoned. Times like this, she thought it would be wise to stay truthful, especially when you’re in front of a law enforcer who had a gun aimed at your head.

“Raider?” He scoffed at her, obviously taking offense at what she had said. “Scaver, you look like one yourself, if you ask me.” He said, eyeing on her ragged overcoat. Dogmeat walked in front of her and started to growl at the man. He took a step back, intimidated by the dog, but still had her at gunpoint.

“I-I’m new… to the Commonwealth, that is.” She stuttered. She gave herself an imaginary facepalm after hearing what she had said. She was a lawyer, damn it! She should be better than this.

The man carefully eyed her from head to toe. Red felt a great wave of relief as the he completely lowered his gun when he noticed the Pip-Boy strapped on her wrist and the iconic blue vault suit under her overcoat. She slowly dropped her hands to her sides, feeling her arms grow sore from the encounter. Dogmeat stopped from growling at the man as well. Red gave him a small pat on the head, she would have been scared shitless if it wasn’t for the dog.

“A Vault Dweller?” He said, slightly shocked. Red figured it was his first time seeing one. And a live one, for that matter.

“From what vault are you from?” He asked, still wary of her.

“Vault 111, just near Sanctuary Hills.” She answered.

“Oh, you must be that one Travis mentioned on the radio.” He said. His eyes went wide as if he had solved a mystery. 

But for Red, it was quite the opposite. She has so many questions. Who is Travis? What radio? What did they say about her on this radio? Did someone saw her get out of the vault? If yes, who did? Whoever this person was, he might know something about Shaun’s kidnappers.

She was tempted to bombard this guard the list of questions she had, but then she figured that she might get better answers from Travis himself, whoever that is. All she knew was he was involved with the radio. Going to the station might be a good place to start.

“Yup, that’s me.” She said, going along with what the guard said. “Anyway, I was looking for Diamond City, actually. Thought it might be a good place to settle down.” She said. She felt a bit guilty for lying but she can’t afford to tell her story to anyone who comes across.

“Vault life must’ve been pretty boring, seeing that you chose the dangerous Commonwealth life over it,” He said, laughing.

“Yeah.” She placed a hand on the back of her neck, forcing a chuckle. _Oh, boy. You don’t know anything._

“But yeah, Diamond City has everything you need. Traders, medics, bars, you name it. I’m going to say that it’s probably not as good as the ones you had from the vault, but it ain’t that bad either. I think there’s an empty lot available for purchase too, so you’re in luck.” He said. Putting aside the remark he did about the vault, Red felt a rush of excitement about this Diamond City. She was going to meet civilized people for a change. Honestly, she was growing lonely back in Sanctuary Hills, with only a handful of people to talk to.

“But the city’s quite in a fright lately, thanks to that nosy reporter who kept on reporting about synths.” He added, his voice sour. It was the first time she heard about synths so Red wasn’t sure what he was talking about. “I’m certain that she’ll ask you for an interview, given that you’re a Vault Dweller. So, my advice is you run if you see a woman in a red trench coat, you hear?” He said.

“Copy that.” Red nodded. This reporter can’t be _that_ bad, right? A _nosy_ reporter must know something about what happened back in Vault 111. But she still considered the guard’s advice. She wouldn’t want her story to be published for the public to read about.

After that, the guard pointed out the directions to the gates of Diamond City and went on his way. The directions were almost unneeded because Red and Dogmeat just followed the trail of machine gun turrets and the painted signs on the wall that says ‘DIAMOND CITY’ with a huge arrow pointing to the place. They came across with a few more guards, all of them nodded at their direction.

She let Dogmeat lead on, confident that he can read the signs and knew the way as well. It took her about a month to accept that Dogmeat was way smarter than your average dog. Hell, it was even likely that his dog form was the only thing getting in his way of doing greater things than your average human. Red liked to think that if Dogmeat was a human, Preston would choose him to be the General of the Minutemen. Red smiled at her own train of thoughts.

Along the way, she had realized that Diamond City was situated in Fenway Park and that the arrows were pointing to the ballpark’s main gate. It took her a while to recognize the place because the exterior walls of the Park looked rusty and run down, very different from the one she had seen 200 years ago. She walked a bit faster than usual, growing curious to what the inside of the Park looked like after the war. Well, that and Diamond City itself, of course.

Nearing the main gate, she heard a faint voice of a woman talking to someone, her voice isolated from the loud humming of the turrets on the streets. Diamond City was supposed to be a safe place. There shouldn’t be raiders around here, considering that there were guards patrolling the area. Regardless, she held on to her holstered 10mm and started to walk as quietly as she can. Dogmeat noticed her change in behaviour and followed suit. They crouched behind a scaffolding-turned-barrier and listened for the voice.

“What do you mean you can't open the gate? Stop playing around, Danny! I'm standing out in the open here, for crying out loud!” The voice was more apparent to Red. She certainly sounded upset. She tried to take a peek at the woman, hoping that she was too upset to notice her.

What she saw a woman in a red trench coat and a newsboy cap. Red deduced that the woman was the reporter in red that the guard told her about. She remembered the guard telling her to stay clear from this woman, so she stayed hidden behind her cover, observing from a distance. The woman was waving her arms wildly as she spoke. Red adjusted her glasses and poked her head a bit more, trying to see who she was talking to.

“I got orders not to let you in, Ms. Piper. I'm sorry. I'm just doing my job.” Another voice was heard, and this time it was a male. It became apparent to Red that the woman, the reporter whose name was Piper, was talking to a guard named Danny through an intercom.

“Just doing your job?” The reporter repeated the guard’s words with a mocking tone. “Protecting Diamond City means keeping me out, is that it? _Oh look, it's the scary reporter!_ Boo!” Red couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. Their conversation was definitely a breath of fresh air for her. No one from Sanctuary Hills had as much sass as Piper has. The thought of this woman annoying the hell out of this city was enough to ensue another laughter from her.

Piper quickly turned her head at Red’s direction, looking for the source of faint laughter. Red quickly went back to cover when she saw the reporter glanced at her way. 

_Fuck._

She leaned on the metal scaffolding. She was sure that they made eye contact for split second. She was seen, certain of it.

“I'm sorry, but Mayor McDonough's really steamed, Piper. Saying that article you wrote was all lies. The whole city's in a tizzy.” The guard replied through the intercom. Red quickly forgot about the situation she was in when she heard McDonough’s name.

_Maybe this McDonough might know something, too._

She tried to remember an instance where a politician answered a civilian’s question about a missing person, but truthfully, she can’t. Asking the mayor might not be a good decision after all, but it’s worth a try. She hoped that 200 years of radiation made politicians better than they were before.

She was pulled from her thoughts when she heard the reporter scream in frustration at the intercom.

“You open this gate right now, Danny Sullivan! I live here. You can't just lock me out!” She screamed indignantly. “I can wait all day, Danny. Open up!” She hissed. Both waited for a reply from the guard but nothing happened. Red was certain that the show was over and it was time for her to hide someplace else before the reporter sees her again.

She stood up and walked away as quietly as she can. Red heard footsteps running towards her. Knowing that it was too late to run, she sighed loudly and stood in place, waiting for the inevitable.

“Hey, you, scavver,” Piper said, her voice slightly echoing. Red turned around and saw the reporter beckoning her to come closer, so she did.

“You want into Diamond City, right?” The reporter said, a smile forming on her lips as she pointed to the gate with her thumb. It didn’t take long for Red to realize that Piper plans on using her to get back into the city. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that. However, she knew that whatever she was planning would also grant her passage to the city as well.

“I just got here, but sure, yeah,” Red saw Piper’s smile grow wider. From that smile, she understood that it was going to be a very long day. She was starting to regret not sleeping the night before.


	4. Chapter 4

Red watched Piper as she smiled triumphantly at her, reminding her of Dogmeat who asks for pats whenever he’s being a good boy. She felt sorry for Danny who got hustled by the reporter. Piper did it so naturally as well. Red wondered if hustling people was part of her normal day. If that was true, she wouldn’t be surprised why the whole city would dislike her.

Before they got to the intercom, she explained to Red what she planned to do – have Red pose as a trader from Quincy. She was confused at first, but then realized that Piper probably haven’t heard yet of what went down back in Quincy. The Quincy Massacre – as Preston called it. She shrugged it off, hoping that this Danny guy hasn’t heard of the news as well.

She waited for her cue to speak but Piper ended up doing all the talking for the both of them. She was impressed by Piper’s way of smooth-talking. She could do that as well, given that it was a must-have skill in court, but she could never do it as blatant as Piper does. She watched the reporter nod at herself with pride as they both heard a click from the intercom.

The gate rattled loudly before it slowly shifted up from the ground. Red was sure that the sound the rusty mechanisms made was loud enough for everyone in the vicinity to hear. She took her 10mm from its holster, looking around and waiting for an ambush. Her eyes darted around the place, looking for cover. Piper wasn’t kidding when she told Danny earlier that she was out in the open.

She turned to look at Piper, looking for a sense of urgency in her eyes but found none. Instead, she found a mix of intrigue and fascination, the want to ask questions. Piper’s eyes studied her face, shifting to her vault suit under the black overcoat, then to the unmistakable Pip-Boy that she has on her wrist. Her face was serious, obvious that she was in deep thought. The reporter was definitely sizing her up, like a predator watching its prey. Red felt uncomfortable seeing that someone was observing her from head to toe, and the silence between them was only making it worse.

“You like what you see?” Red teased in an effort to break the silence, hoping that the reporter won’t take it the wrong way.

Piper raised her eyebrows in surprise, gone was the serious expression on her face. Red was sure that she saw a hint of pink appear on the reporter’s face as well.

“Oh, Blue.” Piper sighed with a pleasant smile on her face. “We’re going to get along _juuust_ fine.” Piper chuckled then gave Red a quick pat on the shoulder.

_Blue? Did she just call me Blue?_

The loud noise ceased as the gate stopped shifting. Diamond City was fully opened for them to come in. Red saw a few guards inside, sporting the same baseball armor and weapons. There was a stout man in the room as well, clad in a nice, gray suit. His suit may be nice, but the expression on his face wasn’t. He looked angry, and it seemed that the anger was directed on Piper.

“Let’s go?” Piper asked.

“After you.” Red said, intimidated by the man. 

Piper turned around and saw the angry stare directed at her. She clicked her tongue and replied with slight irritation, “Oh, great. Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

She walked behind Piper, watching the tattered end of her red trench coat sway as she walked. She caught a guard giving her a mean look, probably thought that she was staring at Piper’s backside. When they were all inside, Red noticed that she was the tallest among the bunch. She considered herself to be short before the war. Maybe the bombs had something to do with it? Surely, 200 years of continuous exposure to radiation, albeit little, would have messed up a part of humanity’s DNA.

“Piper! Who let you back inside? I told Sullivan to keep that gate shut!” The man in the suit yelled, catching everyone’s attention. “You devious, rabble-rousing slanderer! The level of dishonesty in that paper of yours! I'll have that printer scrapped for parts.” He pointed a finger towards Piper, threatening her. But Piper was far from threatened.

“Oooh, is that a statement, Mr. McDonough?” Piper said, her voice thick with sarcasm. “ _Tyrant mayor shuts down the press._ ” She added, her hands up in the air, headlining what she had said.

Red fought the urge to laugh. Everyone in the room watched as the scene unfold before them, but it seemed that Red was the only one enjoying this. She turned to McDonough, waiting for a reply. He was about to speak when Piper cut him off.

“You know what, why don’t we ask the newcomer? Do you support the news? ‘Cause the mayor’s threatening to throw free speech in the dumpster.” Piper said, directed at Red. Her amusement fading as she was put on the spot. She felt everyone stare at her, waiting for an answer.

“What newspaper are you talking about?” She asked, an eyebrow raised in confusion. Red doesn’t even know what exactly they were talking about. Were they referring to the Boston Bugle? Was it still even a thing?

“Mine. Publick Occurences,” She answered, matter-of-factly. “and we’re the hard look at the truth. So, are you with us or not?” She asked again, this time with more force. She was wearing the same expression as she did when she was studying Red outside the gate.

“I’ve always believed in freedom of the press,” Red answered. Dogmeat barked, seemingly agreeing to what she said. It was part of her job as a lawyer to know every conceivable right that every man has, but it is everyone’s responsibility to respect all of them.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to bring you into this argument, miss, no,” He said to Red, his voice gentler and more respectful. “Welcome to the great, green jewel of the Commonwealth. Safe, happy, a fine place to come. Spend your money, settle down.” He said joyfully. “Don’t let this muckraker here tell you otherwise, alright?” McDonough pointed sideways at Piper, to which Piper scoffed.

“To be honest, this hasn’t been the friendliest welcome…” Red said. And it was true. She was beginning to think that the people of Diamond City weren’t as civilized as she hoped they were. If a mayor of a city could act like this, what more of its people?

“She’s got you there, McDonough. Guess not everyone gets won over by that shark smile of yours.” She remarked, a taunting smirk forming her lips.

McDonough cleared his throat, aware that he wasn’t going his way. “Now, was there anything particular you came to our city for?” He asked, curious. Piper slightly shifted closer, obvious that she wanted to know the reason why a mysterious person such as herself appeared in Diamond City.

Red gave both of them an uncomfortable glance, hoping that they didn’t notice. She wasn’t sure that giving out her life story was a good idea. “Just looking for something.” She said. She wasn’t exactly lying, but she wasn’t exactly telling the whole truth either.

“Oh? What is it you’re looking for?” The mayor asked, frowning. She wasn’t sure if he was concerned about her or concerned about something else that she wasn’t aware about.

“Who would I talk to about finding a missing person?” She asked. She wanted to be as vague as possible, not wanting everyone that she, a mother, lost her child to some kidnapper.

“Well, whatever you do, don’t bother going to Diamond City Security for help.” Piper cut in. Red quickly glanced at the guards who heard Piper. They all looked away. Guilty.

“Don’t listen to her. While I am afraid that our security team can’t follow every case that comes through, I’m confident you can find help here.” It was McDonough’s turn to cut in this time, trying to redeem himself and the guards in front of Red. “Diamond City has every conceivable service known to man. One of our great citizens can surely find the time to help you.” He added.

“A mayor of a great city must know everyone. Who can help me?” She said, putting on her best persuasive voice.

“Well, there is one private citizen. Nick Valentine. He’s a detective… of sorts, who specializes in tracking people down, usually for debts or whatnot.” He said, not exactly comfortable of recommending Valentine for the job. “Now, I have to get going. I’m sorry that Diamond City Security doesn’t have time to help, but I’m sure Mister Valentine charges a reasonable fee.” He said, dismissing his conversation with the two of them.

“This is ridiculous. I want the truth, McDonough. What's the real reason security always shrivels away when talk of missing persons comes up?” Piper said, accusingly. She was obviously not done with McDonough.

“I’ve had enough of this, Piper. From now on, consider you and that little sister of yours on notice.” He threatened Piper passive-aggressively. 

“Yeah, keep talkin’, McDonough. That’s all you’re good for.” She said, waving off the mayor as he scoffed at her and entered through the gate. Red was starting to feel scared for Piper, but the reporter seemed to just shrug off the mayor’s threats.

“I’m impressed, Blue.” There it goes again. “Not everyone can claw information out of McDonough's tight-fisted hands.” She said, clenching her fists.

Red shrugged. “What can I say?” She said smugly.

Her remark earned a smile from Piper. She was still upset over their conversation with McDonough but tried her best not to show it. “Why don’t you stop by my office after you visit Valentine?” She asked.

“Sure.” She said, although she wasn’t exactly sure that she’d actually visit her.

“Great.” She smiled again. “I think just found my next story.” She added, leaving Red and Dogmeat with the guards.

Once Piper was out of hearing vicinity, she went to the front desk and asked the man behind the counter, next to the intercom that was connected outside.

“You’re Danny Sullivan, right?” She asked, lately realizing that it would be embarrassing if he wasn’t Danny Sullivan.

“So, you must be that trader Piper was talking about? Something tells me she’s pulled the wool over my eyes again, am I right?” He said, voice mixed with self-pity.

Red wasn’t completely surprised that this wasn’t the first time Piper pulled something like this. For knowledge sake, however, she continued to ask anyway. “Piper’s done this before?”

“All the time,” Danny said. “The thing is, sometimes she’s bluffing, and sometimes there really is a group of fifty raiders just over the hill, screaming for blood.” Red smiled at his remark. Piper’s life must have been exciting, to say the least. “So, I usually just let her in. Not this time, though. Mayor’s on the warpath.” He added.

“I can see that, yeah.” Red nodded in agreement. “I’m sorry, by the way. Piper wasn’t exactly lying. Trading really was in the list of my agenda here in Diamond City.”

“Good to know.” He smiled at her, appreciating the gesture. “Anyway, welcome to Diamond City and all that. I gotta get back to work.” He said, unenthusiastically. So far, the welcome in Diamond City was far from the best, but she’d take Sullivan’s welcome over McDonough’s.

Diamond City wasn’t the city she looked forward to this morning. Every building was made with plywood and rusty, multi-colored iron sheets. She doesn’t know why she expected better constructed buildings and houses inside the ballpark. It doesn’t make sense in the first place. It was obvious what with the raiders, insects, and those green mutants, that making a construction site was a bad idea. She accepted the way the city looked nonetheless. It didn’t smell like death and shit, unlike the rest of the Commonwealth.

As she goes down the stairs, she saw a building with a big sign with a big ‘PUBLICK OCCURENCES’ written on it. There was also a kid, standing on a small platform, waving a paper. This must be Piper’s property then, and the kid must be Piper’s sister as McDonough mentioned.

Dogmeat ran ahead, leaving Red behind. He ran to Piper’s sister and sniffed her feet. She watched as the girl smiled fondly at Dogmeat, pausing what she was doing to give him a pat.

“Hey, boy. Where’s your owner? Can I keep you?” She said. Red smiled. The girl didn’t know that Dogmeat had probably understood what she said.

“I’m afraid he’s already taken.” Red said, chuckling. Walking up to the girl from the stairs.

“Oh, hi lady. I haven’t seen you before. Here,” She said, giving her the paper that she was waving earlier. “Free paper to newcomers. If the Institute grabs you in the night, at least we warned you.” She continued.

“A free paper? Sounds like quality.” She teased lightly as she accepted the paper. Her expectation of the newspaper was shot down as she saw a one-column paper on her hands. The Synthetic Truth was the headline of the issue she was handled.

“I’m serious. The Institute takes people! You should read up if you’re sticking around.” The girl advised. 

“The Institute?” She asked. Red hasn’t been taking the girl seriously, but she was starting to get curious about this Institute that she was talking about. She thought that the month she spent with Preston and the others back in Sanctuary was enough for her to get up to speed with everything new in the Commonwealth, but it seemed that there are still a lot more that she doesn’t know.

“You ain’t heard of the Institute, lady? They snatch people up in the night and no one hears from them again. It’s all in the paper! Better read up before they grab you, too.” She said, trying to scare Red by the way she was talking to her. Red was starting to wonder who was the child between the two of them.

“I believe you.” She said, half-lying. This Institute thing might be a good thing to look into, but she needed to hear about it from someone else, at least not from a child. “Thanks for the free paper.”

“You’re a real lost lamb in the wolf’s den, lady.” The little girl chuckled, slightly looking down at her. The platform was giving her the height advantage. “So, what are you doing in Diamond City, anyway?” She asked. _She is Piper’s sister, alright._

“Uhh, I came here looking for someone.” She answered. She noticed that she looked like Piper. Well, they’re sisters after all, but Red could imagine that Piper looked somehow the same when she was the same age as her little sister’s.

“Lemme guess, that someone’s gone missing, right? That’s what I’m telling ya.” She said, pointing to the paper Red was holding. “So, who is it?” She asked further.

It took a while before Red was able to answer. She didn’t know whether to say the exact same thing she told McDonough or tell the kid what she was looking for. The kid did look like she could actually help, though. “A baby boy, he was kidnapped.” Red said slowly, hoping that the girl didn’t notice the hesitation in her voice.

“A baby? Wow. That’s a new one. Usually it’s adults.” The girl remarked, surprised but still convinced that the Institute was behind it.

“You’re a smart kid. Isn’t there someone in town who isn’t afraid of this… Institute?” She asked. She doesn’t know why she had the need to persuade this child to get her to tell something, but she did it anyway.

“Well, there is the detective, Mister Nick Valentine. He’s not afraid of anything! If anyone’s gonna help you, it’s him.” She said. Unlike McDonough, this kid actually recommended this Valentine to her.

“Thanks, you were a big help.” She gave the girl a smile.

“Remember, the Institute’s out there, newcomer. Watch your back.” The kid said, grabbing another paper from the stand for her to wave around. Red had started to walk away but ran back to the kid to ask for directions.

“Hey, one last thing, is there a place where I could stay the night?” She asked the kid.

“Yeah, try the Dugout Inn. Piper goes there all the time, so I’d say it’s pretty good.” She said, pointing toward an alley. “There and turn right. It’s hard to miss, don’t worry.” She said, waving her off.

Red proceeded to follow the girl’s directions. Indeed, the Dugout Inn was hard to miss, what with the sign and the tables and chairs outside. The smell of alcohol and food welcomed her inside. There were a few people lined up on the bar, and the others were seated on the sofa in front of it. She checked the time on her Pip-Boy – it was only about an hour past 12. It was still morning yet there were already people drinking at the bar. Some things don’t change.

She approached the barkeeper who was telling a story about his encounter with a mirelurk, his voice thick with Russian accent. Preston had mentioned about mirelurks while they were training but Red hasn’t seen one herself yet. She can’t muster the courage to cut the barkeep’s story just to ask for a room, so she looked around for someone who can help her.

She found a man sitting on a wooden chair near a doorway. He was reading an issue of the Publick Occurrences. He looked a lot like the one managing the bar, but this one was slimmer and less… enthusiastic?

The man looked up at her, noticing her presence. “Oh, a customer.” He said, his voice was thick with the same Russian accent as the barkeep. Red assumed that they were related. “I haven’t seen you around, so you must be new.” He said.

“I’m Yefim and that noisy guy in the bar is my brother, Vadim. We own this bar. I handle the rooms, and my brother handles the bar.” He said. Red took Yefim’s offer to shake hands.

“I’m Red.” She said, firmly shaking his hand.

“Anyway, you look tired, need a room?” He asked, giving her a smile.

Was it really that obvious that I’m tired?

“Yeah. How much?”

“10 caps a night.” He answered. Right, caps. Red still hasn’t figured out why humanity would choose bottlecaps as a currency. She fished her bag of caps from her pack. Preston and the others gave her 200 bottlecaps before she left. Along the way, however, she found a lot more from abandoned cars and houses. She had lost count of her caps. She grabbed a handful of caps and started counting. Red handed over enough caps to cover a week.

“Room 2 is yours for a week. Have a nice stay.” He said, giving her a prim smile. She nodded at him and walked inside. Fortunately, Room 2 was just in front of the doorway near where Yefim was sitting. She headed inside and found a considerably empty room. Red didn’t even care anymore if it was empty or not; she was just glad that there was a bed in the room.

She dropped everything after she had locked the door. Then she ran towards the bed and slumped herself on it. She was too tired to change into a more comfortable set of clothing. But surely, she can do it when she’s able again.

“I’ll feed you later, Dogmeat. Let’s just rest for now.” She said, her voice muffled by the pillow. Red heard Dogmeat circling on the floor beside her bed before passing out from exhaustion.


	5. Chapter 5

_Don’t they know? It’s the end of the world. It ended when you said goodbye._

Red sat outside the Dugout Inn, enjoying a bottle of beer while humming to the sad tunes played on Diamond City Radio. She had only woken up about an hour ago, barely an hour past midnight. She wanted Dogmeat to join her walk the streets of Diamond City but he looked so peaceful in his sleep that Red decided to leave him alone. She took off her overcoat and vault suit then changed into a set of comfortable red flannel shirt and denim pants. She didn’t bring another set of footwear, however. Her combat boots didn’t go along with her civilian get-up but no one was going to see it in the dead of night anyway, so it was fine.

She looked at the time on her Pip-Boy. She had been listening to Diamond City Radio for almost an hour, hoping that Travis was still awake in his station but the repeating set of songs proved it otherwise. She turned the radio off, worried that she might wake people up if she continued.

Red didn’t remember Boston being this cold. If the war was destructive enough to wipe over half of the population of the United States, it was also more than enough to mess up the climate. Instead of shivering out in the open, waiting for a certain radio host to wake up, she decided to wander the city instead. It was dark as if the citizens can’t be bothered to set up a lamppost every few meters. There weren’t a lot of people outside, save for a few guards unlucky enough to be assigned a graveyard shift. There couldn’t be a better time to snoop around the city without earning suspicious glances from the locals.

She followed the path that led deeper into the city. She passed by the agricultural section of the place, recognizing the same plants and vegetables she had planted herself in Sanctuary. Unlike the exterior walls of Fenway Park, the interior walls were much more well-maintained. Even under the night sky, she could see the clean, green wall that protected the city from the dangers of the Commonwealth. She also found the radio station of Diamond City, situated in what looked like a metal shack. It was locked, of course. She didn’t even know what to expect.

After taking a few turns, she found herself walking into a narrow alley leading to a hot pink neon sign that said “Valentine Detective Agency.” It must be Detective Valentine’s office, then. She took a mental note of where it was located as she needed to visit and talk to him in the morning. The end of the alley led her to the market, to what it seemed to be the heart of Diamond City. There were no traders to be found, save for the Mr. Handy that was in the general goods store and the strange Protectron at Power Noodles.

She decided to sit down on one of the stools at the noodle stand. She looked around the place again. Diamond City looked so peaceful at night. It was a shame that the city couldn’t be this peaceful in the morning.  
“Nani shimasu-ka?” She slightly jumped in her seat at the robotic voice she heard from the Protectron behind the bar. Unfortunately, Red didn’t know Japanese.

“Uhh… Hi?” She greeted. She thought of trying to start a conversation with the robot chef. If she recalled correctly, these Protectrons were pre-war tech. Maybe she could talk about the good old days with it.

“Nani shimasu-ka?”

Red slumped her head on the counter. It was a good thing that no one was awake to see her so desperate for a conversation. She was getting so lonely that it was almost laughable. She turned her head, still slumped against the counter. She caught sight of Publick Occurrences. Unlike all the signs here in Diamond City, Publick Occurrences wasn’t neon lit. It was probably a good thing, too. She wouldn’t trust a paper that had neon lights for signs.

Publick Occurrences. That gave her an idea.

Red began to walk towards Publick Occurrences, leaving the Protectron hanging. She stepped on what it seemed to be the front porch of Piper’s house. There were many copies of The Synthetic Truth lying around, maybe even more than the total population of Diamond City. She picked up a paper on the ground and skimmed through it. It honestly looked more like an editorial than the news Piper was bragging about.

Red heard metal clanging from inside the Publick Occurrences. She quietly stepped in front of the door and placed an ear against it. She could be accused of robbery if someone were to pass by, but the chances of it happening were slim because everyone was sound asleep inside the comfort of their homes.

“Great, just great.” Piper’s voice sounded muffled against the door, irritated and tired. She heard another clang of metal louder than the previous one.

“I’m sorry, kiddo. Didn’t mean to wake you up. It’s just that –“

It was clear that Piper was talking to her little sister, but Red couldn’t hear her even if she pressed her ears harder against the door.

“Everything’s fine, I promise. I’ll fix the motor like I always do. Now go back to sleep, you still have school later.” Piper said, her voice filled with concern, much softer than the one she heard yesterday with McDonough.

Red took a step back from the door, realizing what she has done. It was a private, intimate conversation Piper had with her sister. Red didn’t have the right to hear any of her business. Piper may have expressed her desire to pry into her life but it doesn’t mean that she should do it to her as well.

But Piper mentioned something about fixing a broken motor. It shouldn’t be that hard for Red to fix it, considering that she has built more complex contraptions from scratch back in Sanctuary. She could most certainly help, but should she?

Red grabbed the newspaper she read earlier, feeling the rough, slightly-crinkled paper on her fingertips. Despite being more opinionated than your average pre-war newspaper, she could see that Piper had the city’s welfare in mind while writing this article. They were the hard look at the truth, as Piper said it yesterday. Red admired her for her passion in pursuit of truth, for standing up to the Mayor, unfazed by his threats. But aside from looking for the truth because it was the right thing to do, Red figured that Piper was doing this for a living. The paper is what pays their bills, what keeps their house lit and their stomachs full.

She helped her get inside Diamond City, albeit unintentional. Red wanted to return the favor.

Red patiently stood outside the door, waiting for Piper to open up. She had already knocked twice but obviously, something kept Piper occupied. Moments later, she heard yet another metal clang followed by footsteps heading for the door.

“Sorry to keep – Oh.” Piper said as she opened the door, surprised at the sight of Red. “You know, when I told you to visit me at my office, I meant during office hours.” She said, chuckling at herself. Red had forgotten that Piper told her to come to her office. She must have been so tired yesterday that she didn’t remember her say that.

“So, what are you doing out here in this time of day?” She asked.

Red tried to think of a less creepy excuse. “I decided to stroll around the city. I saw that your lights were still on, so I figured I’d visit you.” She replied. She knew that she messed up somewhere along those lines, certain that Piper would catch it.

“U-huh. Very thoughtful of you.” She said, sarcastically. “Let me ask again though. What are you doing here?” There was no way that she could lie her way out of this.

“Okay, fine.” Red said, letting out a huge sigh. “I was passing by then I heard you mention something about a motor that needs fixing. Thought I could lend a hand. You did help me get into the city.” She said.

“Oh, you heard that, huh?” She said, placing a hand over her mouth. Red figured that she was embarrassed by the fact that she had heard her talking so intimate with her sister. She couldn’t blame her for it though. “But yes, the motor,” she continued, breaking Red’s train of thoughts. Piper opened the door, and stepped aside for her to come in.

“Don’t mind the clutter.” She told Red as she walked in. Inside Publick Occurrences was warm, illuminated by yellowish incandescent lightbulbs. She could smell the weird mixture of cigar and ink in the air. The place wasn’t that messy, save for the stack of papers and the ashtrays located in random places. There was a staircase leading to the second floor of the house. Next to it was something that seemed to be a printing press. It was the thing that Piper was trying to fix, evident by the scattered tools and oil canisters next to it. Behind it was an uneven wall made from stacked concrete blocks. Red could see a pair of feet behind the cover. It was probably Piper’s little sister’s bedroom.

“My little sister’s asleep so let’s keep it down, okay?” She said quietly. Red gave her an OK sign.

Piper stood behind Red, watching the vault dweller’s slim fingers methodically twist and fiddle with the parts of her printing press as if it was an instrument. She would occasionally ask if Red needed her assistance but she would always decline. It took her a while to fix the machine; she wasn’t Sturges so she needed time to familiarize herself with the parts.

“ _Aaaand_ it’s done.” Red said while screwing up the last bolt, closing the hatch. She stood up and faced Piper who was standing behind her all this time. “I fixed the motor and some other things inside that needed fixing. This should last about a few more months. Though I suggest you consider getting the motor replaced. I could do the replacing bit for you once you have it.” Red said, putting all the tools on the coffee table where no one can trip on them.

“Wow, not only do you have a silver tongue but you also have a Mr. Handy for hands. Color me impressed.” Piper complemented, genuinely impressed of her capabilities. “Tell me something you _can’t_ do.” She said playfully, smiling. Two can play that game.

“How about…” Red said, pausing to think. “How about the interview? I think I can’t do that.” She said. She smirked at Piper, whose smile turn into a grin. 

“Oh, no, no. You’re not getting away that easily, Blue.” She said, finally laughing. 

Blue. There it is again. 

“Why do you keep on calling me that?” She asked. It was about time that she did. 

“'Cause you're a Vault Dweller? I know you're not wearing the blue jumpsuit right now, but the Pip-Boy and that ‘fish out of water’ look? Dead giveaways.” Piper said, matter-of-factly. Red wasn’t surprised that she knew. She was, however, surprised to know that she looked like a ‘fish out of water’. She doesn’t know exactly what that means yet at the same time she understood. She doesn’t belong in this time, after all. 

“Fair enough.” She nodded. It was fine as long as Piper doesn’t discover that Red was over 200 years old. She was afraid for her to know because she will certainly put it on paper… using the machine that Red just fixed for her. 

“That, and also I still don’t know your name. You probably know mine though. Everyone probably has told you all about me. I’m everyone’s favorite person.” Piper said, smirking when she saw in Red’s eyes that she was correct. 

“Yeah, you’re practically a god here.” Red quipped, to which Piper chucked. “My name’s Red.” She added. Piper tried to stifle a laugh but eventually burst into laughter from knowing her real name. 

“Oh, that’s brilliant.” Piper said, wiping a tear. “I like Blue better though.” 

“Yeah, it didn’t take long for me to notice.” Red said, waving her off. She looked at the time in her Pip-Boy. There weren’t windows in the house, at least not in the first floor, but she bet that it was almost sunrise. 

“Well, I better get back to the dugout. Gotta get breakfast for myself, Dogmeat as well.” Red honestly wanted to stay for a while. She was enjoying Piper’s company. However, she doesn’t want Piper’s little sister to see her, a stranger, inside their house. 

“Oh, okay then.” Piper said, a bit disappointed that their conversation was coming to an end. “Thanks for fixing the ol’ girl, by the way. You’re free to come here anytime, like you did today.” She winked at Red who rolled her eyes with disbelief. “Don’t forget about the interview, okay?” Piper reminded her as Red walked out the door. 

“I’ll try not to!” She said as she smirked, not bothering to look back at Piper. 

Red was right, the sun hasn’t risen yet but there were some people who were already out and about the city. In a few hours, the streets would be populated by people again. 

Red stopped by the general goods store to buy a can of cram and dog food as well as some paper plates and plastic utensils. As she walked back to the dugout, she noticed that people were starting to occupy the streets faster than she anticipated. She also passed by a few drunk men trying their best to walk straight back to their homes after a night’s drink. 

Dogmeat was still asleep when she got back to their room. She wasn’t that hungry yet, so she decided to lie back down and rest. She had already planned on what she was going to do that day, having Valentine first on her list. She might get answers as soon as tomorrow, that is if things go well later today. 


	6. Chapter 6

Diamond City was as busy in the morning as it was solemn at night. The traders can be heard yelling, promoting their products from outside the Dugout Inn. People were starting to line up for breakfast around Power Noodles, eager to get their morning fuel for the long day ahead. As Red made her way out of the dugout, she passed by some guards she saw last night on the graveyard shift, choosing to ease up with some early beer rather than sleep. She wanted to take the shortcut to the detective agency but it would mean passing through the commotion around Power Noodles. Instead, she took the quiet, long way around, through the same path she took last night while wandering around.

The people chattering about could still be heard but it was rather peaceful behind the market. Farmers were quietly tending the plants while some are feeding the two-headed cows they call ‘brahmin.’ The wall looked majestic in the morning, more than it did at night. It looked as well as it did pre-war, maybe even better.

Red turned to the same narrow alley leading to the agency. She spent a good minute outside the door, preparing herself as she was sure that she’d be forced to recount everything from before the war leading to bombs, to the murder of her husband and the kidnapping of her infant son. Red emerging from the vault felt like it happened a long time ago and the tragedies she discovered after were even longer. _Does any of this still matter?_

She felt Dogmeat’s moist nose on the back of her knee, which pulled her out from her thoughts. She shook her head. The stress and anxiety of not seeing Shaun anymore were catching up to her. Nate’s ring suddenly felt heavier on her hand. _Nate and Shaun deserved better._ Her hands made its way to the door’s handle. With newfound will, she pulled the door open, whiffing in the pleasant scent of old books and paper.

She was surprised to see Piper seated inside, comforting another woman on the other side of the table who was clutching a necktie on her hands. She gestured for Dogmeat to wait outside as she closed the door behind her.

“Is something wrong?” Red asked, catching the women’s attention. Piper stood up, about to speak when the other woman beat her to the punch.

“Another one coming in from the rain. I’m afraid you’re too late, we’re closed.” She said, her voice gentle and somber. Red felt sympathy towards the woman despite not knowing what she was going through. Even so, she wasn’t having this conversation, no. This agency, this detective – this was her only lead in finding Shaun and she didn’t plan on losing this one as well.

“I know you’re busy but please, hear me out. I promise I won’t take much of your time. This is important.” She pleaded, desperation in her voice.

“Oh, I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to be rude.” The woman said apologetically, picking up the distress in Red’s voice. “I wish I could help, I’m just his assistant. But the detective? I’m afraid he’s gone missing.” 

“Don’t sell yourself short, Ellie.” Piper chuckled sadly. “And I’m sure that Nicky will come back. He always does.” Piper added, trying to comfort Ellie. However, Red wasn’t comforted at all. She cannot wait for the detective; she needed Valentine now. Everything wasn’t going according to plan, but there would be no use crying over spilled milk. The hunt needed to continue while the tracks remained fresh.

Piper and Ellie wanted their friend back and Red needed the detective to help her find her son. Everyone wanted to see the detective for the missing cases yet no one wanted to go out there and look for him. There was only one solution that she can think of – the one that was unnecessary for her to do yet it was inevitable that she would. If no one wanted to look for him, she will.

“Do you have any idea where I could find him?”

Both Piper and Ellie were caught off guard by her question. They didn’t expect that a stranger would go through the effort of finding Valentine, unlike the others who didn’t even bother asking where the detective went after being told that he was gone.

“Well, he disappeared while working on Skinny Malone’s case.” Ellie explained as she pulled out a record from the drawer. She opened to folder on the table for Red and Piper to see the full report as well as a sketch of a man in a suit pinned on the top. “Turns out, Skinny Malone had kidnapped a young woman. The girl’s parents went here weeks ago to file a case for Nick to look into.” She turned the page to show some more sketches but this time, they were locations pointing to somewhere, more specifically to a subway entrance.

“Is this the one in Boston Common? Park Street Station?” Piper inquired with a hint of concern in her voice, pointing to one of the sketches. She had her notepad and pen out, jotting down what Ellie told her.

“I know what you’re saying. A lot of people come near Boston Common, but only a few come back alive.” Ellie said, sighing. “Anyway, Nick tracked them down to their hideout in Park Street Station. They used the unfinished vault down there as a base. I told him that he was walking into a trap but,” She paused then smiled sadly, reminiscing the last time she saw him. “He just smiled and walked out the door like he always does.”

“I’m sorry but who’s this Skinny Malone character?” Red asked, crossing her arms in deep thought.

“Nick knows him more than I do. All I know is that he’s from Goodneighbor and that means he’s in the well-pressed suits and machine guns school of thuggery.” She said. Red smiled at her last remark. Who knew that the mafia would still be alive 200 years after the world ended? She gave herself a few moments to digest the facts that were given to her by Ellie. She’d be going against a whole mafia if she were to rescue Valentine. Then again, she was already going against the Commonwealth wasteland for her son, what’s one more adversary to the list?

Red stretched out her arms for a handshake. “Alright, I’ll find him. You have my word.”

Ellie didn’t take her hand. Instead, the secretary went in and gave her a hug. She saw Piper giving her an angry look. She gesticulated at her, asking what was wrong. Piper rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. She was about to speak when Ellie released her from her hug. She was met with eyes that were previously devoid of hope, now filled to the brim. If she only knew that Red wasn’t doing this entirely for her.

She squeaked. “Oh, thank you! I know Nick isn’t worth a few caps but I’ll be sure to reward you with some when you get back.” She said, overjoyed. Red still felt an uncomfortable stare from Piper’s way.

“No, no, it’s fine. I don’t need caps.” She said, and it’s true. If she learned anything from her journey to Diamond City, that would be that caps weren’t as scarce as people thought they were. If she suddenly had the need for caps, she could always scavenge the empty lots in the Commonwealth for junk. There would always be people willing to buy them. People probably didn’t know that for a fact. If they did, everyone would be rich. Then again, a few caps probably ain’t worth the risk of getting shot by raiders.

She left the office as soon as she said her goodbyes to Ellie. Red and Dogmeat walked their way back to the inn while she was thinking of a plan to find Valentine without getting herself killed. They could go on their way to Park Street Station as they walked; she had brought enough ammo and stimpaks for the job. But a woman and her dog couldn’t possibly survive a whole mafia shooting at them with machine guns.

“Blue!”

Two Minutemen might have a better chance of survival. She thought of going back to Sanctuary and ask Preston for help. She wasn’t second guessing Dogmeat’s capabilities in combat, but they would be fighting against ranged weapons. Red hated the idea of her canine companion getting shot while lunging forward for a bite.

“Blue, wait!”

However, going back to Sanctuary then travelling to Park Street Station would take days, maybe even a week. Frankly, Red doesn’t have time for that. Maybe she could go alone, snipe them one-by-one from afar?

“Jesus, Blue! Stop!” Red felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Piper breathing heavily. “How many times do I have to yell for you to hear me?” She said, irritated. Red was surprised at Piper’s tone. She didn’t even hear her calling out her name.

“I’m sor– “

“And what was that back in the office, huh?” Piper barked at her. “You think you’re so tough you could just promise Ellie that you’d bring Nicky back? That you could just prance your way to the Boston Common? Did you even stop to _think_ , even just for a second, that going in alone with that dog of yours is a stupid idea?” Piper was livid, alright. Even Dogmeat gave out a whimper when she mentioned him. Red was beyond confused. She didn’t know what she did to deserve being the receiving party of Piper’s wrath.

“I’m afraid I don’t– “

Piper waved her hands around wildly. “You’re just a vault dweller, Red. You grew up in the safe confines of your vault. Don’t think that you could just walk around the Commonwealth like you did underground.” She said spitefully.

Anger started to rise in Red’s chest. She didn’t mind Piper scolding her like a child for acting rashly. She admitted to herself that her decision to find Valentine herself was impulsive and a foolish one. But it wasn’t an act of heroism, it was mother’s desperate act to find her son. Red couldn’t hold her tongue any longer.

“Valentine’s the only person who could find my son, Piper.” She cut in before Piper could continue. “Not you, not me, nor anyone in this fucking city. Don’t assume that you know everything about this vault dweller’s life.” She echoed Piper’s words, mockingly. Her words carried enough venom to hurt Piper. The livid expression on her face softened as Red’s words began to sink in. She let go of the taller woman’s shoulder and sighed.

“I-I’m sorry.” Piper was far too embarrassed to construct a better apology. She couldn’t even look her in the eyes. Red felt the sincerity in Piper’s voice but her anger remained.

“I don’t need your pity.” She said, not meaning to sound harsh. Piper’s unmoving stance gave her a chance looked around. It was a good thing that people were too busy to watch them argue outside Dugout Inn but people were starting to notice them, some already glancing their way.

One could hear Dogmeat’s whimper and the commotion in the market clearly with the silence between them. The moment felt longer that it was as she waited for the reporter to say something more. “If you have nothing else to say, then please excuse me. I need to be on my way before the sun sets.” She said, leaving Piper hanging on the street. She walked towards the door of the dugout when she heard Piper call out to her.

“Red, wait.” Piper said, her voice was gentler this time. Red noticed that Piper called out to her using her real name for once. Despite this, Red didn’t move, not even bothering to face her. “Let me come with.”

That was more than enough for her to merit Piper a look. There was no hesitation in the reporter’s words nor her eyes. During the course of her career in law, Red had prided herself on her ability to read people and see behind their lies. Piper, however, was an exception.

“I thought you knew better. You said – “

“I know what I said!” Piper interjected, cutting off Red. “I want to find Nick. Him and Ellie used to be my only friends here in Diamond City.”

_Used to be?_

“And now, after all that has happened yesterday, I consider you as one. I want to help you find your son as well.”

Red fully knew and understood that the whole city disliked Piper because of Publick Occurrences, but she didn’t know that it was that bad. Now that Piper had dropped the F-bomb on her, how could she say no to that? She let out a deep sigh. Two guns are certainly better than one. If she can’t go back to Sanctuary for Preston, Piper will have to do.

The time on her Pip-Boy said it was 9 in the morning. They still had a lot of time to prepare and set out before the nightfall.

She gave her one last look, one last chance for her to take back what she offered. The reporter stood her ground, with no intention to back out. “Pack light, bring only the essentials. Let’s meet in front of Power Noodles in 4 hours. Sounds good?” She asked.

Piper gave her a slight smile and nodded. “Yes boss.”

Red and Dogmeat waited for Piper to make her way back to Publick Occurrences before they entered Dugout Inn themselves. Once they got into their room, she reached for her bag then proceeded to unpack everything on the bed. By the time she was finished, her bed was cluttered with the extra clothes she brought with her along with the medicine, ammunition, her trusty 10mm pistol, and Preston’s sniper.

She started to fill the inner pockets of her overcoat with ammo and stimpaks, not enough to slow her down and constrict her movement but enough to last the mission. Her bag was empty, neatly folded and strapped underneath the overcoat. Even on a dangerous mission like this, the people of Sanctuary remained on her mind. All the junk she’d find in Park Street Station would most certainly prove to be helpful in fortifying Santuary’s defenses, maybe even in helping new settlements for the Minutemen.

Dogmeat’s incessant barking at Red when she told her to stay with Ellie was his way of making it clear for Red to understand that he wanted to tag along. Again, everything wasn’t going according to Red’s plan. All she wanted was to keep everything and everyone safe by doing the mission alone, but they just wouldn’t let her.

Once she had triple-checked her equipment, she slung Preston’s rifle over her shoulder and proceeded to the bar where the Bobrov brothers were standing. Vadim was the first to notice her when she leaned on the table.

“Hey, my friend,” Vadim’s voice boomed, having a thicker Russian accent than Yefim. “You look like you need a drink.” He said, already bringing out a glass and a beer from under the table. Red stopped him before he could pour her one.

“No, not this time, Vadim.” She smiled. “I’m here to see Yefim.”

Yefim turned to Red as he heard his name. “Bah! Your loss.” Vadim said, disappointed.

“Vadim! What did I tell you about being nice to our customers?” Yefim scolded Vadim. Vadim just laughed at him and said, “I kid! I kid! But do let me know if you need a drink, my friend.” He waved at Red before turning to talk to other customers.

“I’m sorry about Vadim. He gets… too loud sometimes.” He gave her a nervous chuckle. “So, what did you need?”

“I’ll be out for a while. So, I kinda need you to watch over my belongings while I’m gone.” She explained. She took out a bag of bottlecaps then emptied the contents on the table. It was less than what she paid for a whole week of room reservation but certainly more than Yefim deserve for just watching over a locked door.

“Oh. Okay. Certainly.” He said, still surprised to see himself get paid by doing basically nothing. She gave him a knowing wink before heading out the door.

Red made her way to Power Noodles an hour earlier than what they planned, only to see Piper already seated there, enjoying a bowl of noodles. Piper waved at her when she saw her walking towards the noodle stand.

“Is this seat taken?” She teased.

Piper scoffed at her. “Oh, please.” She chuckled and took a seat as she listened to Piper how people were already feeling sorry for her for sitting next to the nosy reporter.

“You aren’t as bad as people think you are, Piper.” She said, confused at the fact that people hated her guts for printing the truth, albeit it was written in the most brutal way possible.

Piper’s face grew pink from her remark about her. Red was starting to enjoy seeing Piper get flustered about the little things. There was something ironic about a reporter being at loss for words. The reporter shrugged it off, her face remained warm from the blush.

“You haven’t lived in Diamond City long enough, then.” She said casually, then proceeded to eat her noodles.

“Nani shimasu-ka?” She heard the same robotic voice that surprised her last night. She looked at Piper for help, to which Piper laughed.

“Do yourself a favor and just say yes.” The reporter chuckled. She found the vault dweller’s greenness to the Commonwealth adorable. It was, however, dangerous to be new in the wasteland. That was partly why she wanted to join her to Boston Common in the first place.

“Yes.” Red said. She watched Takahashi methodically make her noodles, still surprised that someone had the idea of reprogramming a killing machine to make something as harmless as a noodle cup.

She had better noodles before the war, but the noodles were surprisingly good for something that was prepared by a robot after a nuclear holocaust. She wasn’t that hungry to finish the entire bowl to herself, so she gave the rest to Dogmeat.

After finishing lunch at Power Noodles, they left the stand and made their way to the staircase leading outside. Dogmeat had run ahead, waiting for them on the top of the staircase. As they passed by Publick Occurrences, Piper’s little sister ran up to them and gave Piper a hug.

“I’ll be back soon, Nat. Be good, okay?” She said, returning her sister’s hug.

Red watched the sisters exchange farewells to each other. She wondered if it was Piper’s first time leaving Diamond City for something like this. Does Nat even know what they were going to do outside?

“Hey, lady,” Nat called for Red. Piper watched her little sister ran past her and towards the tall vault dweller. Nat beckoned to the vault dweller to bend down for a whisper.

“Make sure to bring Piper back alive, or I’ll make sure that there will be one less vault dweller in the Commonwealth.” Nat whispered. Red felt a wave of goosebumps under her vault suit as she took a step back, looking for the intent to kill behind the sweet, innocent smile on the girl’s face.

Piper watched them curiously as Red nodded at Nat. “Alright, take care you two!” The little girl said, waving them off.

_That was weird. And scary._

“Hey, what did Nat tell you back there?” Piper asked as they reached the top of the stairs, curious to know what her little sister said to Red.

“She wanted us to have a safe trip.” Red answered. Piper must have seen her expression when Nat basically gave her what could be assumed a death threat. No one must know that she was intimidated by a child. 

“That doesn’t sound like Nat. What was it?” Piper said, unconvinced.

Red shrugged, to which Piper sighed.

“Nothing stays hidden forever, Blue.” The reporter chirped.

She already knew that Piper would prod her more about it so she thought of a way to sidetrack her from it. “You ready?” She asked.

“You should ask that yourself.” Piper chuckled as they leave the gates of Diamond City.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried my best.  
>  _insert another promise about the story progressing faster here_


	8. Chapter 8

Red had decided that they should just go straight to Park Street Station, not wanting to repeat the same mistake of wasting a day of constant rerouting just to avoid the inevitable. If memory still served her right about the Commonwealth, going around would actually be a bad idea considering that the landscape around it lacked cover. If they were going to be shot at, might as well be in a place surrounded by the best cover possible: buildings.

Dogmeat led the way to search for dangers ahead while the two women stayed back, looking for anything that the dog had missed. The road to the Common was a quiet one, aside from the sounds of gunshots and explosions in the distance. Red was surprised that the reporter hasn’t asked any question since they left Diamond City, more so than the fact that they haven’t sighted a raider camp yet. She had assumed from the start that their entire journey would just be an interview being interrupted by an occasional shootout; she was wrong.

It was obvious that Piper was holding back what with the sideway glances she’d catch her giving every now and then.

“Okay, why aren’t you asking anything?” Red asked quietly with slight irritation. She looked at the reporter beside her, whose face was plastered with a grin, eyes glinted with self-satisfaction. From that moment, she knew that she had dug herself a grave. She fucked up.

“So you _do_ want to be interviewed. All you have to do is ask, you know.” The reporter teased, nudging the taller woman gently as she chuckled lightly.

Red was aware of how crazy her life was, and how perfect it was for Piper’s career. Imagine: a reporter having an exclusive interview with a well-preserved, 200-year-old relic who was the sole survivor among everyone that was put under cryogenic stasis by Vault-Tec. This could be followed by a crushing story of a mother who had been scouring the entire Commonwealth for her missing son from the moment she woke up. The reporter in red was right about the vault dweller being her next story, but she was unaware of how big of a catch she was chasing. This could even be her ticket to redemption in the eyes of the public. Despite this, Red couldn’t just tell her story for Piper to write about, at least not yet. She can’t even begin to think what consequences she might face because of this.

“But seriously though,” Piper continued, her voice sterner. “I just think it would be a great idea for Diamond City to have an outside perspective of the Commonwealth. Maybe a break from the Institute kidnappings.”

Good for Piper to think of that. It wasn’t enough for Red, though. “Okay, I got a good headline for you: Local Woman Says No.” Red said, headlining her words in the air.

The reporter scoffed, her chuckle couldn’t mask her irritation. “Gonna be like that, huh? Smartass.” She nudged the vault dweller again with more force this time.

Their short banter was suddenly interrupted by Dogmeat, who ran back to them growling lowly. Red instinctively crouched as this was Dogmeat’s signal of trouble ahead. They all walked towards an overturned car and crouched behind it. “Okay. Piper, stay here with Dogmeat while I scout ahead.” She commanded before bolting forward. She didn’t even know if Piper got everything she said.

Red slithered quietly from car to car, going slowly but safely towards the intersection. Once she got near enough, she took the sniper rifle from her back and went prone. What she saw was worse than she thought. The street on their right was mutant territory while the one on their left was a raider camp. The intersection was quite wide with barely any clutter or cover. They could take their chances and walk across, only with the risk of getting pincered… and effectively dying from it.

“So, you’re saying if we go straight, we go against none or all of them? And if we go sideways, we’re sure to go against one group?” Piper asked, clarifying what she said.

Red gave a noncommittal nod to Piper. She didn’t even understand what she had said. Her mind focused on one thing, however. She was in the middle of another crossroad, the same fork in the road she encountered on her way to Diamond City: whether to choose avoiding a fight, but risk getting shot to death in the process or start a shootout with a bunch of people who weren’t even expecting them. On another occasion, she would’ve chosen crossing the intersection in a heartbeat, but it wasn’t only her life that was involved here anymore. Piper was with her now. Piper with the paper and the little sister she must return to.

“Hello? Earth to Blue?” Piper whispered.

If it weren’t for Piper, Red would’ve panicked to death in the middle of the road. “What do you think we should do?” Red asked, trying to stall the moment. She tried not to show the worry in her eyes, afraid that Piper might see it. There wouldn’t be any harm if she did. Red just didn’t want anyone to see her slowly breaking down.

“Someone sounds nervous.” Piper teased but Red was too anxious to tease back. “Well, uhh… I could run, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Piper said casually, giving a comforting look towards the vault dweller.

Red knew that Piper could see through her like glass, and she didn’t know what to make of that. But she had forgotten one important thing, though. Living in the wasteland must have given the reporter the skills to survive it. She wouldn’t have made it this far otherwise. Red smiled unconsciously as she remembered Danny’s story about Piper and the fifty raiders outside Diamond City, much to Piper’s confusion.

If she could outrun fifty fucking raiders, she could cross this damned intersection alive. “Alright, let’s head down the road then.” She said. “Stay low and fast but quiet.”

Piper nodded and smiled. “You’re doing great, Blue.”

“Oh, shut up.”

They crossed the intersection, making use of the little clutter they could find as cover. Red couldn’t even hear the sounds of shuffling and talking from both sides of the streets from the sound of her heart beating so loud. Their crossing went smoothly as Piper predicted. Once the coast was clear, they stood up and took their time to recollect themselves… at least that’s what Red did. Piper, on the other hand, looked relaxed as ever. 

“See? That wasn’t so hard, right?” 

Piper’s behavior was beginning to upset Red but she knew better than starting a verbal fight with her. She broke her gaze and started to walk forward, leaving Piper behind. “Not much of a talker, huh?”

How Piper managed to be that relaxed at a time like that, Red didn’t have a clue. She found it ironic that this was the same woman that had scolded her for treating the Commonwealth wasteland like a walk in the park. Of course, it was the complete opposite, evident by the surfeit of thought and effort she exerted just for crossing the goddamn road.

Piper caught up with Red a few moments later, widening her stride to keep up with the vault dweller. “About that interview…”

Red let out a deep sigh. They haven’t even reached Trinity Plaza yet.

* * *

“Here we are, the Boston Common, and there’s the Freedom Trail.” Piper turned to look at the vault dweller beside her. “You do know the trail, right?”

Of course, Red knew the Freedom Trail, maybe even better than the rest of the Commonwealth. “Yeah, sure.” Red said as she gave a dismissive wave of her hand. She swore she heard Piper say something sarcastic with the tone of her voice, but she was too enveloped with the disappointing view in front of her to hear it. She had to adjust her glasses to make sure she was seeing it all correctly.

The Common used to be a sight to behold. People used to crowd into the place on a nice day for a nice walk. Families usually spent their Sundays there after a mass. But now it was in abject squalor, much like the rest of the Commonwealth. The formerly clear pond in the park was now murky with a few toxic barrels floating around it. The red brick trail that was the Freedom Trail was also striped with piles of rotting trash. However, red paint crudely replaced the faded parts of the trail. Despite its sorry attempt in restoring the trail, Red was pleased to know that someone went out of their way to paint the road.

The wind grew colder as sunset was fast approaching. They circled around the entrance, reaching the stairs that lead down to the subway. Dogmeat and Red walked ahead while Piper followed them closely. Before she could take another step towards the stairs, she felt a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, Blue. Got a minute?” Piper said. The worried tone in Piper’s voice was different from her usual, sarcastic one. Red gave the reporter a concerned look. “Is something wrong?”

“No! No, not really. I just… I saw how you acted back in the intersection and – “

“Oh, come on, Piper. You don’t have to bring that up again.” She said with a hint of exasperation. She didn’t want to be reminded of that damned intersection again.

“No, I mean, you have a good heart, Blue. I find it unfair that you don’t want to kill them when they won’t even hesitate planting a bullet in your head.” The angry expression on the vault dweller was replaced by a confused one. “All I’m saying is that we can’t hide our way to Nick this time. We’re bound to come across Skinny Malone’s henchmen and they will certainly shoot at us on sight.”

Red understood what Piper was saying, and she appreciated her for the gesture. However, it felt odd that Piper was talking to her like she was some child, like she did back in Diamond City. “Don’t patronize me, Piper.” Piper flinched at her tone. She instantly regretted saying that as she didn’t mean to sound too harsh. “And don’t worry, I won’t let you have all the fun down there.” She added, lifting the growing tension between them.

Piper blinked a few times and smiled. “Oh! Well, I don’t know why I was so worried about it, then. Guess we’re even, huh?” Red rolled her eyes as Piper elbowed her gently in the ribs. “What are we wasting our time here for? Let’s go, Blue.”

The interior of the subway looked just as clean as the rest of the wasteland. The smell of mildew got stronger the deeper they venture into the subway. A lantern was placed next to the doorway at the bottom of the escalator, filling the room with a gloomy yellow glare. There were bright white lights that came from the next room as well, too bright for any lantern anyway.

Red walked quietly towards the doorway while the two of her companions followed her closely. She peered over the edge and saw three men in suits huddled in the middle of the room. They were armed with submachine guns, just like Ellie had told them.

She watched one of them took one last drag on his cigarette before flicking it to the ground. “This is the best. I’m telling ya, joining Skinny Malone was the best decision I’ve ever made.” One man said, his voice awfully raspy. She adjusted her glasses, unable to see his face clearly but she swore that his face looked like it was melted.

“But the man’s got no balls! We caught that detective snooping around and what does he do? He just locked him up.” Another man said.

“I heard that his moll was torturing the poor guy though. Maybe he was letting her use him, I don’t know.” The first man shrugged. Red looked at Piper, worried for her detective friend. Red decided that she had heard enough, grabbing her 10mm from its holster. She took a deep breath before getting out of cover. The men didn’t even have the time to react. With three fast muted pops, she heard the three men drop dead on the ground.

Red felt the noodles she ate at Takahashi’s make its way up to her throat. She swallowed hard, pushing it back in. She’d be damned if Piper saw her throw up.

“Well, well. Look at you, Blue.” Piper said as she entered the room, leaving Red at the doorway. She circled the bodies with abject fascination. “You’re a damn good shot, Blue. How did you learn this inside the vault?” She was talking louder than Red had liked but the sight of Dogmeat guarding Piper calmed her if not a bit.

She walked inside, seeing the man’s face clearer. She was right about it being melted and burned. Not only was his face like that, but also his neck and hands. She assumed that his entire skin was like that as well. “Why is he… like that?” Red asked, avoiding her question. She was genuinely curious about it, though.

“Wait, you’re telling me you didn’t encounter feral ghouls on your way to Diamond City?”

“Ghouls?” She mimicked. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She kneeled down next to the bodies, looting them for caps and ammo. She didn’t like the thought of looting corpses, it was like defiling them. But Preston had told her that the ammo they had might save her life later.

Piper considered it for a moment. “Well, they’re humans who got excessive Rad exposure. Some had too much that they become feral. Now, those are the ones you need to avoid. Some became ordinary ghouls, like our friend here. They’re mostly harmless.”

“Nothing says harmless like joining the mafia.”

“Well, I did say ‘mostly’…”

Red and her companions pressed on deeper into the station. She was right about bringing her bag with her. It was almost full as she was grabbing every junk that she found. It was only a matter of time before Piper asks her why she was hoarding trash.

They were met again with stairs that led deeper to the subway. Red stopped in her tracks, as did her companions. The footsteps below echoes around the hallway, making it impossible to count how many people were downstairs. She was making her way down the stairs as quietly as she can when Piper walked ahead of her. “I don’t want you to have all the fun.” The reporter whispered, echoing what she had said outside the station. She sighed and followed Piper closely.

They were quietly making their way to the bottom of the staircase when they heard a series of beeping sounds – the sound of a proximity mine about to go off. Red’s eyes found a dim flickering light that was slightly obscured by duct tape on the wall next to Piper. Propelled by the strong surge of adrenaline, she lunged at Piper in an attempt to save her from the explosion. The bomb exploded a mere second after she grabbed her and coiled her arms around the reporter’s head, protecting her from the fall. They tumbled down the stairs, her body receiving most of the fall, then landed behind an overturned Nuka-Cola machine.

 _Oh god, oh god, oh god._ Red’s breath was racing as well as her mind with Piper still in her arms. She released her, feeling a miniscule amount of relief that the reporter was unharmed. They were momentarily deafened and shaken up by the blast. They both leaned up against the machine, not daring to peek from their cover as they were sure that everyone in the damned station heard everything. She watched Dogmeat, seemingly unharmed by the blast, ran past them.

Dogmeat had bitten a man who was rushing to them. The man tried to shake him off, pummeling his baseball bat on the dog until he was too hurt to hold on. The muffled sound of Dogmeat’s whimpers spurred her to aim with shaky hands at the man. She missed a few shots to his head but the bullet to the heart was equally effective. Dogmeat ran to them well before they heard submachine guns being shredded at them.

“They gotta reload sometimes. We pelt them when they do, together.” Piper said. They waited for what it seemed like an eternity for the men to empty their magazines. As soon as the room echoed with the sound of guns being reloaded, they both peeked out of their cover, hailing them with bullets. They ducked back again behind their cover as soon as the triggermen returned fire.

“How many remaining on your side?” Piper asked breathily.

“Zero. You?”

“Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me.” Piper rolled her eyes at her. She watched the reporter get out of cover as the triggermen reloaded their guns once again. It took Piper a few shots before taking all of them down. She went back down and leaned on the machine next to Red, the sound of their heavy breathing and Dogmeat’s whimper mingled with each other.

Dogmeat walked slowly towards Red, skipping over Piper’s slumped body, as she beckoned to him. “You did great, boy. You’re a good boy.” She cooed Dogmeat, patting him on the head. He lied down and placed his head on her lap, she could feel Dogmeat breathing faster than usual.

“Thanks, Blue. You saved me back there.” Piper sighed out of the blue. “Are you okay?”

“How about I remain the lead next time?” She was starting to feel her bruises from the fall as the adrenaline died down. “To answer your question, no. I feel like a bruised apple.” She pressed on her arms, feeling its tenderness. “But I’ll take bruises over a dead friend any day.”


End file.
